


Pesky Questions

by dairyair



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Adventure, Dirty Talk, F/M, Flirting, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Reader-Insert, Romance, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 03:00:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15787590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dairyair/pseuds/dairyair
Summary: Just because you don't have a heart doesn't mean you can't have feelings for a certain Nobody. Thanks to Demyx's lack of fighting skills (supposedly...), you're paired with the infamous Freeshooter on a dangerous mission. Afterwards, you two grow closer as things in the Organization grow more sinister. But how close can two Nobodies without hearts get? (Hint: pretty close, actually.)I'm thinking about writing an epilogue to this - if you like it, please comment and let me know if you'd like one!





	1. Enter you, Xigbar as your love interest, and Demyx as your shitty neighbor

    When you had woken up as a Nobody, coming to terms that you had no heart was tough. It had been soul-shattering. Gut-wrenching. Probably would’ve been heart-breaking if that paradox had been possible. But, hey, there were perks. You had developed interesting abilities, such as being able to use various magic spells. You had been recruited to join Organization XIII, fellow beings also without hearts, so you could all pretend to be miserable together; macabre as it sounds, misery does love company, and it helps.

    With them, you got to teleport to different worlds, kicking ass and taking names. If you still had a heart, you probably would’ve seen yourself as a bad guy. But now? Hey, you were just trying to complete Kingdom Hearts and get your heart back, and you can’t make an omelet without cracking a few eggs. And Kingdom Hearts was one hell of a metaphorical omelet, so there were a lot of metaphorical eggs to crack. 

    You rationalized that others would understand if they were in your position.

    Yes, as you lay on your standard-issue Organization XIII bed, you thought to yourself that overall you had adjusted pretty well to all the unexpected stuff that lacking a heart threw at you. But then, as you grabbed your two pillows and smashed them against your ears, you also thought about how there are always some trifling, unforeseen things that just throw you for a loop. For you, that was having to room next to Demyx.

    Gritting your teeth and trying to stuff as much pillow into your ears as physically possible, you glared at the thin wall that separated you from the Nocturne’s incessant sitar riffing. You had just come back from a difficult Heartless culling mission in Agrabah; Saix had said that too many Heartless gathered together posed a strategic threat. All you wanted was a little sleep, but true to his nickname, Demyx seemed to get the itch for jamming out at night. If there was one thing you thought you could at least escape while being trapped in what amounted to purgatory, you thought it would be noisy, annoying neighbors. After minutes of squeezing your head in a vice-like yet fluffy grip, you couldn’t take it anymore. Groaning, you threw the pillows at the wall and marched out of your room and over to Demyx’s door.

“DEMYX! DEMYX! PLEASE, I’M TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP!” You banged your fist on the door repeatedly. The music stopped abruptly, and you heard soft footsteps come towards the door. Demyx opened it only a crack.

“H-hey – oh! It’s only you! I was worried you might be Larxene.” Demyx smiled and opened the door wider, and you saw he was still holding his sitar … and wearing bubble-themed pajamas. You shook your head.

“No. Why would she even be around here, anyways? She’s over at Oblivion now.”

“Sometimes she comes by to see if I’m playing, and then she blows my sitar to bits, just for fun,” Demyx pouted.

“Oh, yeah? That’s too bad…” you trailed off, guilt twinging your stomach; you had been thinking of how great it’d be to smash his sitar to pieces, too, just a minute ago. You cleared your throat and continued. “Well, I’m not a raving sadist, but I do appreciate a good night’s sleep. Especially after the mission I just had today. Is there any chance you could keep it down?” Demyx twanged a string sadly and looked at you with despondent eyes. ‘Oh, boy, here it comes. Stay strong,’ you thought to yourself.

“But tomorrow Saix is sending me on some stupid mission with Xigbar! And then Xigbar said that I have to be sure to be able to back him up in case the Heartless are really tough.”

“Well, why are you staying up playing, then? Shouldn’t you be resting up for your big mission?” Demyx stepped back a bit and allowed you to look in; the room was completely soaked and everything was nearly broken!

“I’ve been practicing my songs to summon my water clones and Dancer Nobodies to make sure I’m all ready for tomorrow!” You nodded; it figured. Demyx never did his own fighting. 

“Well, OK, but shouldn’t you go practice in an area that has more space? Like in the Addled Impasse?” Demyx looked over at you, terrified, and spoke in a whisper.

“But what if  _ Saix  _ is there?”

“Well, you won’t know unless you go see, Demyx.” The boy just whimpered and shook his head. You groaned and rubbed at your throbbing temples. 

“Listen, I’ll just go check if our blue-haired overlord is there, OK? If he’s not, will you promise to go practice down there?” Demyx frowned at you, unconvinced.

“Promise you won’t trick me?” You sighed and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, smiling kindly.

“Even as much as I’d love to watch Saix tear you into pieces with his bare hands, Demyx, I promise I won’t trick you. Cross Kingdom Hearts and hope to fade away.”

“Gee, thanks! Wait a second… hold on, what did you just say,” Demyx whined after you as you walked away. 

    Chuckling, you just opened a corridor of darkness down to the Addled Impasse. You looked around. Seemed empty. Wonderful! Demyx could practice here, and you could get some well-deserved rest. But then a slight fluttering caught your eye near the window. Was some bug flying around? Looking further up, you realized what it actually was: Xigbar’s ponytail hanging from mid-air! He had his feet firmly on the ceiling and was staring out the window at Kingdom Hearts, upside down. 

“Enjoying the view, Number II,” you called up to him. You saw him look down as you came to stand directly below him.

“Well, hello there! I’m enjoying the view much more now.” He smirked and quickly teleported down, standing next to you. You chuckled.

“Ever the flirt, Xigbar.” You had gotten to know the second-in-command since you joined a few months ago. You had learned that he was laid-back, funny, and a constant flirt – but he was also cunning and deadly dangerous in a fight. You spent time together in the common areas: both of you had lost bets to Luxord; laughed together at Marluxia’s ridiculous personal rose aesthetic; and bitched endlessly to each other about Vexen and how he insisted on making audio-visual presentations for every  _ single _ meeting. 

    Here was another thing that you didn’t expect when you lost your heart: somehow still feeling like you were developing a crush. Even without your heart, you felt an attraction to Xigbar that you couldn’t deny. However, you were pretty sure that if this phenomenon of thinking you had feelings became known, there were some serious risks, such as Xigbar laughing at you for the rest of eternity along with one of the following: Xemnas immediately turning you into a Dusk or Vexen locking you in a cage and performing hideous experiments on you for as long as your body lasted.

    “I try, sweetheart.” Xigbar leaned against the glass. “And what has you wandering the halls so late at night, out of your warm, cozy bed?”

    “Funny – I was just about to ask you the same thing.” You crossed your arms and smiled back at him, giving a friendly challenge. Honestly, there had been a lot of changes recently: both a boy named Roxas and a girl named Xion had showed up around the same time, and both wondrously had the ability to wield Keyblades. But they were a strange pair: one a boy with no memories and the other a girl who barely spoke. And now there was this whole business with Castle Oblivion… there was so much you didn’t understand. Catching Number II alone was so rare, and he was so much more friendly than Saix. Physical attraction aside, you couldn’t waste this opportunity to talk to Xigbar and gather some information.

    “Now, now, Number XV. That’s an easy one: my bed is so cold and lonely and without anyone to warm it.” You laughed as he smirked, giving you a quick look up and down. You had been through enough of Xigbar’s teasing that you were able to handle it in public and then collapse in a ball of hormones after you were alone in your room. 

    “But, really,” you pressed, “there must be a lot on your mind with all these Keyblade wielders and with Castle Ob-” Xigbar held up a finger and you immediately went silent. His smirk was gone and he looked serious; everyone knew that when the Freeshooter, of all Nobodies, acted serious, then it was time to stop. 

    “See, one of the benefits of being Number II is that  _ you  _ have to answer questions. But I don’t.” He relaxed again into his lazed smile. “If you’re worried about redundancies, don’t. You’ve proved to be capable of collecting information and battling Heartless without too much hand-holding. Now don’t go ruining that by asking pesky questions.” He waved his hand lazily, but you saw a very determined gleam in his eye; this was advice to be heeded. “So, Number XV, I was asking about your bed when you asked about mine?” Xigbar loved to use your number; he knew it annoyed you. After you had joined (before Roxas and Xion), you had asked Saix why you were Number XIV. Saix had coldly replied that the Organization was confident that their XIII th appointed member would be arriving shortly but that they could use you as an extra pair of hands. After Xion appeared, she was given the number XIV and you were demoted to XV. But, it had made you work hard at your missions, and you felt somehow proud to hear that your efforts were noticed all the way up at Xigbar’s level.

    “Well, if you must know, I’d happily be in my bed, but you have Demyx so worked up for your mission tomorrow that he’s been up all night so far playing that damned sitar of his, practicing his attacks! I told him if Saix wasn’t around, then he should come here to practice.”

    “Too chicken to come check for himself?”

    “Yep.” Xigbar shrugged and chuckled.

    “Yeah, I wish I wasn’t stuck with the kid tomorrow, either. Saix wants me to try and ‘build his capacity,” he said with air quotes. “As if. It’s hopeless. The kid isn’t getting any better.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Y’know, I honestly think it’s because I drew a comic of Saix as a werewolf…”

    “You didn’t.”

    “Humping Xemnas’s leg…”

    “Number II.”

    “And taped it up on his door.” You burst out into a fit of laughter; you just couldn’t help it. Xigbar looked back at you with what seemed like a genuine smile for a split second.

    “Well, I don’t know what you were expecting after pulling a stunt like that!”

    “Not a damn babysitting gig, that’s for sure. That’s Axel’s job.” At that comment, you looked out the window thoughtfully.

    “Yeah, Roxas, Xion, and him sure seem to be having a lot of fun together lately. I feel… almost jealous.” After a moment of silence, you realized what you had just blurted out to the second most senior member of the Organization. Blushing, you took a step back. “Er, y’know, I would if I had a, y’know, ‘b’dmp b’dmp,’” you finished lamely, pulsing your hand over the middle of your chest. Xigbar snorted and burst out cackling.

    “You’re a riot, you know that? Damn, I wish you were out there with me tomorrow instead of our little artist-in-residence.” If you hadn’t been reminded of IX waiting for you, you probably would have thought more on what II had just said.

    “Shit! Demyx! I should let him know to get down here before he destroys his whole room. Unless you want some more time to think?” You gestured back towards Kingdom Hearts.

    “Nah, doll, that’s OK. I think my mind’s all made up. Maybe I’ll, uh, stay and watch Demyx practice. See if he’ll be completely or only partially useless tomorrow.”

    “Alright, then. Good night, Number II. And good luck tomorrow.” A you summoned another corridor to go back to your room, suddenly you felt a light grip on your arm.

    “Now, now, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t escort a lady home?” A second later you were standing back in front of your door, your vision a little blurry and your knees a little weak. Xigbar caught you as you stumbled backwards into him. “Easy there, darlin’. Yeah, that’s the first time you’ve teleported with me before, isn’t it? Trippy, huh?” Xigbar’s hands lingered on your arms, and you felt his strong chest against your back. Even through the layers of jackets and gloves, you still couldn’t believe that you were pressed against him. Clearing your throat, you awkwardly lurched forward without a word and knocked on Demyx’s door; you could still hear some obnoxious music coming from inside. You glanced over at Xigbar, whose smirk was practically up to his eyepatch. You squirmed under his gaze and went from knocking to banging your fist as hard as you could on the door. Demyx finally stopped playing and stuck his head out.

    “Go practice in the Addled Impasse. I promise that Saix isn’t there, and Number II will supervise you.”

    “All right! But don’t be too hard on me, Xiggy-” Demyx stopped midsentence, yelped, and ducked for cover as a laser arrow nearly missed his face. 

    “I told you not to call me that!” As Xigbar roared at him, Demyx quickly summoned a corridor of his own and left. Shaking your head at the two boys, you went to open your bedroom door. “Now, now… don’t I even get a goodnight kiss?” Xigbar’s low voice and warm breath were suddenly on the shell of your ear. You turned to look over your shoulder at the Freeshooter, who had suddenly become very close. His golden eye was staring at you intensely, and he had his head tipped to one side. He leaned in slightly, and your eyes widened and you involuntarily tensed.

    ‘Is this for real? Is it really happening?’ Thoughts whirred through your head and you felt hopeful for a second.

    But at the second you went rigid, Xigbar smoothly pulled back, drawling, “But we probably shouldn’t, huh? Well, I’m off; can’t leave Demyx unsupervised for too long. Get into that warm bed of yours. Sweet dreams, doll.” And with that, Xigbar disappeared into thin air... but not before giving you one last wink.

    Furious, you opened and slammed the door to your room, ripped off your jacket, kicked off your boots, and threw yourself onto the bed. Right from your first day, Number II was always making jokes about the Organization to you and acting like he didn’t care about missions or getting on the wrong side of Saix’s claymore. But that’s just how he was with everyone. You couldn’t help it that every time he called you ‘darling’ or ‘doll’ or ‘gorgeous’ or smirked at you with those lips of his, you felt a warm tingle from your fingers to your toes.

    Cursing, you flipped onto your back and pulled the sheet up over your head. How could you have fallen for his stupid prank? ‘It was late, and I was exhausted from lack of sleep and too much physical exertion,’ you reasoned to yourself. ‘Could have happened to anyone.’ But then you imagined what if Xigbar  _ had _ just leaned forward and brushed his lips against yours… they would be slightly chapped against your soft ones, but they would still feel good… and he’d wrap his strong arms around you and thread his fingers into your hair… you’d sigh into the kiss as you felt his grip tighten and his tongue lick at your lower lip – ‘NO.’ You balled up your fists in the sheets and let out a groan. You’d had this fantasy too many times before about the sexy, confidant man, and you were not torturing yourself with it again. Sighing, you turned to face the window and counted the droplets falling on the windowpane, illuminated by the still incomplete Kingdom Hearts, until you fell asleep. (It took you a few times of counting to like 83 and then losing count and having to start all over, but you did eventually get some sleep.)


	2. Of Dragons and Princesses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xigbar and you are off on your mission! To... find a dragon?

    “Get up… I said GET. UP!” You floated back to consciousness to someone calling your name. Who was in your room? What was going on?

“Mmmnn… Xigbar?”

“Don’t be absurd.” Your eyes snapped open. That cold voice and tired insult belonged to only one person.

“Saix? What the hell are you doing in my room? Did you even knock?” You shot up in bed, clutching your sheet up to your chin in horror, even though you were still in your black tank top and pants from last night. (After you joined, you had been relieved to learn that you weren’t expected to go nude under that ridiculous coat.)

“Be downstairs within the hour. You have a mission.” You groaned and flopped back onto the bed.

“Today was supposed to be my day off! I took out a lot of Heartless yesterday, you know!”

“Actually,” Saix said icily, glaring at you from the foot of your bed, “I  _ don’t  _ know. You didn’t submit a report on your last mission. Carry on in this way and you won’t have a day off for a year. Get yourself downstairs as soon as you’re… decent,” he finished with a tone of disgust and promptly summoned a corridor. Swearing, you rolled out of bed to grab a shower.

__ Ambushed and woken up by a psychopath. No day off.  Told off about freaking paperwork. How could it get any worse? That question was answered in the shower, when you found that you didn’t have a single drop of hot water. Shivering your way through getting ready, you bet anything it was Luxord’s doing. The Gambler always insisted on lengthy showers to appear picture perfect. Between him and Marluxia, it had been lucky if there was ever a drop of water at all. Running down to the the Addled Impasse, you found Xigbar smugly looking on at Saix berating Demyx. The Nocturne was sprawled out on the floor in front of the blue-haired man. 

“Never in my entire nonexistence, Number IX, have I seen an Organization member try to make up for months of abject laziness as you have just done. It is nothing less than an abomination. And furthermore-”

“Yeah, but, Number II, he-”

“STOP TRYING TO BLAME YOUR SUPERIORS.”

“Yo, what’s happening here,” you whispered to Xigbar.

“Good morning, gorgeous. I can see you got your beauty sleep last night, as always.” Xigbar winked at you. Then, last night’s humiliation at the hands of the Freeshooter came rushing back to you.

‘Don’t show him that stunt fazed you last night! Act like nothing’s changed! … Oh for heaven’s sake, do something, woman,’ your brain screamed at you.

“Oh, yeah. Uhh, wish I could say the same for you, Number II,” you said after a pause, winking at him.

“Ouch! Oh, ahh, good one, princess.” Xigbar dramatically grimaced and clutched at his chest. “Right where my heart used to be.” He then thrust his chin towards Demyx, who was now blubbering on the floor. “I guess our lil’ bubble buddy here stayed up all night practicing in his PJs, so when it came time for us to leave this morning, he was completely exhausted and just fainted right in front of me!”

“Did you at least catch him before he knocked his head on the floor?”

“As if, sweetheart.” You shook your head and stared pityingly at Demyx; poor little guy. But you had warned him about pushing himself too hard. “But then I told Saix that _you_ should just come with me; today’s mission is a bit of a doozy, and even _I_ don’t think I can handle it just by myself.” Your eyes broke away from Demyx, who was now clutching at Saix’s feet, begging for forgiveness and trying to avoid being kicked in the face, and looked at Xigbar, whose eye was glinting mischievously at you. Your mouth dropped open a bit.

“Us two? On a mission?” You had never gone on a mission with the second-ranking Nobody before. Xigbar generally went alone or occasionally oversaw Roxas’s progress. He didn’t need help – he was the Freeshooter!

“Yes, you two are to go on a mission, Number XV. Thank Kingdom Hearts you’re so clever,” Saix snapped at you as he finally landed a kick on Demyx that caused the boy to let go. “Now go and stop wasting time here. And I expect a report on all unaccounted missions from both of you once you’re back.” More quietly, you heard him mutter, “If you have time for drawing comics, then I assume you have time for your reports…”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re on it, Number VII. Try not to butcher the kid while we’re gone, OK,” Xigbar drawled, looping his arm around your waist and instantly teleporting you away. A split second later, you felt a huge gust of wind whip at you and felt intense sunshine pouring down on your face. Grimacing, you braced yourself and opened your eyes.

“WOAH! Number II, was it necessary to land us on a cliff?” Your partner for the day had transported you to the edge of a mountaintop plateau, where you could look off a steep drop into the green valleys below.

“Sure was, sweetheart. This is the Land of Dragons, and we’re dragon hunting!” Xigbar had already taken to hanging in midair, looking out at the surrounding mountains and valleys.

“But I remember your report from a while ago. You’ve already helped foment an invasion in order to try and increase the number of people who would fall to the darkness in the chaos.”

“Shit. That I did, angel. Saix will cream his damn pants if he hears someone actually pays attention to the mandatory updates.” You grimaced.

“Well, let’s  _ not  _ tell him, then. That’s one thing I never hope to see.” Xigbar guffawed from his gravity-defying perch.

“Classic XV. That’s why I’m glad you’re here. Demyx would’ve been whining already. Well, sweetheart, you’re right that my plan has already been set perfectly into motion. But I think it’s always good to have a back-up plan. Now, see, what would  _ really  _ make people give into darkness is if something sacred of theirs turned evil. And that evil thing would also make one hell of a Nobody for our Organization.”

“...Like ...a dragon? Becoming a Heartless?” You responded slowly as you realized the gist of Xigbar’s plan.

“Bingo, babycakes.” Suddenly he was right next to you, the taller man’s arm resting on your shoulder. “You pick up the plot faster than most. So, yeah, all we’re doin’ today is findin’ our dragon and puttin’ a tracker on ‘em.” Xigbar showed you a small, blinking device from one of his coat pockets. “In case this thing is ornery, though, it’s always good to bring along some extra bait – er, backup.” Xigbar patted you on the back. “Yeah, backup.” Glaring at him, you shrugged his arm off you.

“Jerk. Be nicer to me or I’ll just let the dragon eat you,” you taunted, looking up at him. Xigbar just shrugged, looking completely unfazed. 

“Whatever. You probably wouldn’t make good dragon bait anyways. You’re too sassy. They like pure, innocent maidens.” He spit on the ground. “Awful damn taste, these lizards. Now, come on. Let’s go while we have some daylight to work with!” 

    The two of you set off along the mountain range. There were many groups of Heartless, but they weren’t too difficult for the combination of your magic spells and Xigbar’s constant rain of laser gunfire. As you finished off what must have been your twentieth horde, you paused to stretch.

    “Man, I’m tired. But, y’know what? I honestly feel like the Heartless have been getting weaker... and less frequent.”

    “I think you’re right. You know what that means?” You thought for a minute and shook your head. Xigbar tut-tutted. “It  _ means  _ that something scares them away from this area.”

    “Ah, like a dragon. I see.” Xigbar patted your head.

    “Too late on the uptake,” he said in a fake sad voice. “You were an A-student, but you’ve dropped down to a B. Well, there are always extra-credit opportunities,” Xigbar said sultrily, grinning at you. Blushing, you wracked your brain trying to think of a clever reply, when you saw something flying in the distance above his head. It was a dragon! And heading straight for you!

    “Well, finding your dragon should get me an A+. Take cover!” You dove behind a boulder.  Looking around wildly, Xigbar caught sight of the dragon as it started to make its final descent to your area. 

    “Holy shit!” He quickly joined you, crouching down behind the boulder. The dragon didn’t seem to notice you and disappeared  into a cave a few miles away. “OK, you only have been raised up to a B+,” Xigbar grumbled, wiping dust off himself. “I would’ve noticed the damn dragon as it flew right over my damn head. I may only have one eye, but give me some credit. Now,” Xigbar growled, “let’s go tag that lizard and get the fuck outta’ here.” You hiked in silence for a while towards the cave.

    “Couldn’t you just teleport us over,” you hissed, trying to scramble up yet another particularly difficult rockface after another hour of hiking. Xigbar shook his head determinedly - the exertion was barely getting to him.

    “No, that thing is sure to sense a distortion like that. Slow and steady, princess. Which happens to be my specialty,” he said, winking back at you. You grunted, trying to swing your legs up a onto a ledge. 

    “Can we save the perverted attempts at flirting for when I’m not hanging off a cliff?”

    “Suit yourself.” When you finally reached the massive cave entrance, Xigbar and you paused to work out a strategy.

    “I can’t hear much. If it’s sleeping, we can try to sneak in and plant the tracker on it,” you said hopefully.

    “I’ve been holdin’ out on ya’, sweetheart. That thing’s hide is thicker than Zexion’s stupid fucking book he carries around giving Heartless papercuts with.”

    “He’s even worse than Demyx on missions,” you confided.

    “Preachin’ to the choir, sister. But getting this lil’ baby implanted in that sucker is going to be the hard bit.”

    “Could you shoot open a wound and insert it?”

    “My thought exactly. In case that doesn’t work, though, please keep racking that pretty little head of yours for other brilliant ideas. You also have the important job of distracting the big, bad dragon, princess.”

    “Geez, you really weren’t kidding earlier about being bait.” Sighing, you peered into the dark cave and then back at the Freeshooter, who was tinkering with his guns. “You do realize that this is not how princesses are supposed to be treated, vis-a-vis encounters with dragons, right?” Xigbar chuckled darkly.

    “This ain’t no fairytale, princess, and I ain’t no prince. So get your fine ass in there and try to distract that fucker, even though you’re not wearing a frilly, pink dress and have half a damn brain.” You blushed and walked into the cave. When you were sure that Xigbar couldn’t see your flushed cheeks, you cleared your throat.

    “By the way, you do realize that this would technically be a Chinese dragon, and we’ve been drawing on a completely different set of tropes from this world?”

    “Ugh, knock if off. You sound like Vexen.” You two quieted down after that, treading slowly through the cave. At first, the light from the cave entrance kept the path from being completely pitch black and the air was still fresh. But as you got farther in, the darkness enveloped you, and you could barely breathe the stale air. 

    “I know we’re beings of darkness and all that, but I think even we’re at a bit of a disadvantage in this,” you whispered.

    “Use a fire spell.”

    “Oh, yeah.” Casting a weak spell, firelight flickered into life and lit up the cave with a dim brightness. Shadows danced around you both as the flames leapt and fizzled. It was an eerie light, and it almost made you wish it were pitch black again; every crackle of the flames and quick, shadowy movement at the edge of your vision put you more and more on edge. Up ahead, you saw the tunnel path widening. “Cavern?”

    “Oh, yeah. I think it’s showtime, princess.” You nodded. Exhaling deeply, you cast Aeroga spells around you and Xigbar. “Good girl. Don’t go getting smashed to bits now!” With those words of encouragement, you rolled your eyes, cast a much larger Fire spell to give yourselves more light and charged ahead. 

    Just as you two had thought, the cavern ahead contained the dragon you had seen before. Huge and beautiful, its multi-colored hide looked formidable. It lay there, coiled, barely making a noise as it opened its eyes to stare coldly at you. The firelight made its scales shimmer and glisten, and, for a moment, you felt like you were underwater. It was mesmerizing… but as you saw a laser light appear in the darkness above, you remembered that you still had a job to do. As Xigbar charged his attack and the light grew stronger, you saw the dragon’s huge muscles tense and it started to turn around.

    “Oh no you don’t!” You sent out a fireball towards the dragon’s eyes, and it reared back with a huge roar. “It’s pissed now,” you yelled over its cries, continuing to summon and throw fireballs.

    “Oh, really? I never would’ve guessed,” you heard Xigbar call back sarcastically as he dodged its huge tail writhing in the air. “Well, now it’s about to get  _ real  _ pissed!” The light that had been building suddenly shot forward and struck the dragon. Roaring, it thrashed against the cavern walls and started to uncoil itself. “Don’t let it escape!” Quickly, you cast Reflect around the cavern, trapping you all inside. The dragon screamed and smashed itself against the magical barrier.

    “I can’t hold this forever!” Every time the dragon threw itself against the barrier, it felt like the weight of the whole mountain was crushing you.

    “Just one more minute!” Xigbar instantly appeared above the wound, hanging upside-down in mid-air, constantly teleporting to avoid getting hit by the dragon’s thrashing. “Here we g- augh!” Xigbar had managed to stick his hand into the wound but was struck immediately after by one of the dragon’s claws.

    “Xigbar!” You felt your body go cold all over. He couldn’t be-?

    “Shit, doll! I don’t know if it’s securely lodged in there!” Thinking quickly, you tried to decide what to do. You could never hope to get close to it. So…

    “Graviga,” you screamed, rolling away from its tail as it whipped towards you. You saw a black dome form over the wounded area and watched as it pressed down with tons of magical force. The noise in the cavern was already deafening, but the dragon screamed even louder and thrashed harder against your magical barrier. Weakened by casting so many simultaneous spells, your barrier shattered, and the dragon flew away down the passage, screaming the whole while.

    Panting, you collapsed onto the ground. There was only a small flame left to make sure it wasn’t pitch black. You heard Xigbar walk near you and crouch down. He took out a gadget from his coat pocket and switched on the screen. The greenish glow of the screen and your weak, flickering firelight made his sharp, focused features appear ghoulish, and you shivered.

    “Way to go, doll! Look!” Xigbar broke out into the smile for a second and he instantly looked less frightening. He turned the screen towards you. You saw a blinking dot moving across the screen and GPS coordinates constantly updating in a box up in the corner. “I honestly was worried your last move there would’ve smashed that doohicky into bits, but it looks like our boys down in Oblivion’s basement finally bothered to make us a quality product.” You continued to gasp and gave a limp thumbs-up. It was all you could manage. Concern flashed over Xigbar’s face, and he put the device back in his coat. “Yikes, let’s get you back to the castle. That Aeroga spell saved my ass back there; I’d be splattered across of couple of cave walls if it wasn’t for you.” Xigbar pulled you up.

    “I’m… I’m so glad. I was… so scared,” you gasped, letting your head fall onto Xigbar’s chest.  You looked up and could’ve sworn you saw his eye’s golden glow flash brown for a split second. You shook your head and looked again; no, it was the same. You must be more exhausted than you thought. “Please, just a regular corridor, Xigbar.” At his name, again, that flash.

    “Your wish is my command, angel,” Xigbar murmured into your ear. He supported you through the corridor and it opened back in front of your door. You braced yourself, expecting a repeat of the other night’s prank, but he gently slid you off his shoulder and leaned you against your door. 

    “As your superior, I’m commanding you to get some rest. And I don’t pull rank often.”

    “Yessir,” you laughed weakly. Xigbar gave you a wave and disappeared. As you went into your room, you heard Demyx’s door open and him softly calling your name. “Make it quick, dude, I’ve been ordered to get some bed rest.”

    “Did you have a good mission?” He walked over to your doorway.

    “Yeah, yeah, it was fine. I hope Saix didn’t hurt you too badly.” Demyx smiled and shook his head.

    “If you just play dead, he loses interest after a while.” 

    “Well, I’m glad you’re OK. And I’m glad it was me out there today instead of you. It was a really tough mission,” you said, glancing pointedly towards your bed, which you were aching to get into. Demyx didn’t get the hint and just crossed his arms.

    “Yeah, well,” he sighed petulantly, tapping his foot, “I  _ would  _ have been all good to go this morning, but Xiggy wouldn’t let me stop practicing last night. I kept telling him I was too tired and wouldn’t be able to get up in the morning. But then he just threatened to shoot me if I stopped training!” You just stared at the Nocturne, your jaw nearly on the floor. Had… had Xigbar  _ planned  _ it so you two were together today? Admittedly, torturing Demyx and threatening to shoot him was like one of Xigbar’s top 5 favorite hobbies, but still…

    “You don’t say…”

    “Well, whatever. I’ll get my chance to prove myself... Woah, you look awful. You should get some sleep. Night,” Demyx said nonchalantly, not registering your shock (or offense) as he walked away. You slammed your door and peeled yourself out of your sweat-drenched clothes. After you collapsed onto bed, you were still wondering if Xigbar really would sabotage Demyx just to be able to spend some more time with you…

    ‘Or he just didn’t want to die because Demyx is useless and you’re much more of a tactical battle asset. Don’t think too much on it,’ you chided yourself. Before you had any more time to beat yourself up over what it all meant, you felt exhaustion take you, and you slipped into sleep.


	3. Of Beasts and Princesses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up to terrifying news... and another mission.

    You slept through a whole day, so you went down to breakfast famished when you finally woke up. The Dusk chef on duty that morning kindly piled your plate high with extra pancakes and gave you a pat on the shoulder with its claw. After you had sat down, you noticed that the room’s vibe felt a bit different than usual. Xaldin and Luxord were murmuring to each other in hushed tones, and they normally couldn’t stand each other. Roxas sat alone, pathetically hunched over his uneaten breakfast like he was going to burst into tears at any second, and Xion wasn’t there to comfort him. Saix was off in the corner staring single-mindedly at Kingdom Hearts - admittedly normal, but there seemed a bit more gravitas to it this morning. Only Axel seemed completely at ease, munching on some toast over at another table. You jabbed a forkful of pancake in your mouth, picked up your tray again, and went to sit down next to him.

“Min’ eff I jen you?” Axel arched an eyebrow and kicked the other chair towards you. As good an invitation as any. You sat down and continued shoveling food into your mouth. “So wutsup? Efferwun theemth weerd.” Axel calmly flicked away a bit of jam that had flown from your mouth onto his jacket.

“I imagine it’s because the whole team at Castle Oblivion has been terminated.” You gasped and started choking on the mouthful of food you had been working on. You quickly gulped down some water, saving yourself from choking to death in front of Axel, whom you’re pretty sure would’ve just sat back contentedly and watched it happen.

“They what!?”

“You heard me. They’re gone. Got it memorized?” You slumped down in your chair.

‘I’m so thankful that Xigbar wasn’t assigned there.’ The thought entered your mind without warning.

“So… how’d this all happen?”

“It seems there was an intruder. But we  _ loyal  _ members are safe here in The World That Never Was. A lot can happen while you’re napping, huh?”

“Hey, I wasn’t ‘napping.’ But, listen, is Xigbar off babysitting Demyx again?” You frowned, looking around. Axel’s eyebrows shot up, and his green eyes glinted at you. You had tried to sound uninterested as possible, but you couldn’t help fidgeting a bit as you spoke. After hearing about a massacre of your teammates, it’d be reassuring to just see Xigbar to know that he was OK…  

“Oh? So you mean you didn’t hear? Well of course not, you were napping.” You just glared at him as you went to take a sip of water. What was he playing at? “Xigbar was assigned to Oblivion the day you were sleeping. He’s not coming back.” You dropped your glass, and it broke on the floor. You felt your stomach about to regurgitate everything you had just eaten. He couldn’t be serious? Could he? But how could he joke about something like that? There was no way… Xigbar couldn’t be…

“N-no no. I was just with him. You can’t be - I mean, it can’t be-” Axel burst out laughing, nearly falling out of his chair. 

“Did you see her face? Priceless! Oh, that was too good!” Axel continued to howl with laughter, doubling over and clutching at his sides. You whipped around to see a what appeared to be a very annoyed Xigbar... and a Dusk sweep up the glass with long, awkward movements. Your eyes met Xigbar’s one, and your face flushed with shame. He had seen you fall for it hook, line, and sinker. You turned and sunk into the chair; hopefully he’d let you live this one down.

“Seems like you’re really heart-broken about this, Axel. Losing half our group.” You heard Xigbar’s voice, soft and yet somehow menacing, from behind you. Axel stopped laughing abruptly and shrugged.

“Oh, come on, old man. Playing favorites?”

“As if. Like you’re one to talk, anyways. Hey, Roxas,” Xigbar called. The boy came rushing over. “Axel here said that he wishes you had been in Oblivion and gotten whacked so he wouldn’t have to babysit your ass anymore.” At that, Roxas actually  _ did _ burst into tears and ran away. Axel jumped up.

“Cyclops bastard,” he growled. “Roxas! Wait up! The old bastard’s just joking!” Axel ran off after the blonde, and Xigbar sat in his now empty seat across from you and propped his feet up on the table. A Dusk quickly brought over a pastry and coffee. You fidgeted as you thought of what to say. 

“Um, thanks. You didn’t have to do that for m-” Xigbar waved his hand impatiently to cut you off.

“Anytime, sweetheart. It’s always fun to burst Axel’s hypocritical bubble.” Xigbar took a bite of his pastry.

‘So… does that mean I  _ am  _ his favorite?’

“Now, after I finish this shit coffee and shit excuse for food, we’re out on another mission.”

“Another one? Together?” If you had a heart, it would have skipped a beat.

“Yeah. Saix thought we made a decent team the other day. We have some recon work. You feel well enough for some recon, right?” You nodded and perched yourself on the edge of the seat and leaned forward.

“To find out what happened at Oblivion?” You whispered the question to Xigbar excitedly. You wanted to know what was going on - maybe you’d get to investigate for yourself! Xigbar just rolled his golden eye.

“As if. That’s already over and done with. Nah, we’re headed to a different castle today.” Frowning, you stood up with Xigbar and headed out. Everything at the Organization had seemed so easy and straightforward when you joined a few months ago. But now it seemed as it everything was falling apart … but leadership didn’t really seem to care.

Xigbar and you used a portal that opened up to a trail in a green woods. Xigbar teleported away immediately. You just stood and smiled as you saw the sun dappling the ground through the leaves and heard the chirping of the woodland birds. Sighing happily, you sat down on a log and removed your hood, letting the sun warm your face. Day was barely distinguishable from night in The World That Never Was; you loved this contrast. Peering up at the sky through the leaves, you guessed that the sun was going to set in this world in an hour or two. Xigbar suddenly warped next to you.

“Looks like the folks in the village will be turning in soon. I don’t think anyone else is going to be coming down this road; we should be good here.”

“So, you said there’s a castle here? What are we on the lookout for?”

“A Beast. As in razor-sharp claws and flesh-piercing fangs.” You whistled.

“Sounds strong! So, it’s already a Heartless?”

“No, see, that’s the weird bit.” Xigbar took out a notepad from his pocket and flipped through some pages thoughtfully. “Apparently one of the Seven Princesses of Heart was rescued by this thing. It seems that the two are somehow … romantically involved, I guess? Well, I mean, they’re certainly not long-lost cousins by the look of things. So we’re here to find out what’s up with…” Xigbar gestured vaguely, “that whole situation. We’ll do some general night recon.” You grimaced.

“It sound like we’re peeping Toms.” Xigbar guffawed. “So, she’s not being held hostage by this thing?”

“Eee-eeeh…” Xigbar waggled his palm back and forth. “Apparently this thing had her sick, old dad in, like, jail for a bit, but apparently not anymore.” You looked at Xigbar incredulously. He just shrugged and put away the notebook. “Don’t look at me like that, sweetheart. I don’t write ‘em.” Xigbar sat down next to you, and you two drifted into silence. Various thoughts ran through your head. Should you try to interrogate him about what happened at Oblivion? … But he had made it clear how he felt about questions related to Organization the other day. Then…

“What if you did?” Xigbar jumped; you had been sitting there quietly for a while. “What if you did write the stories,” you said thoughtfully, looking at him. “How would they end?” Xigbar closed his eye and thought for a moment.

    “All seven of those princesses wouldn’t be so pure of heart after I got through with ‘em, I can tell you that,” Xigbar drawled, elbowing you in the ribs. You just rolled your eyes and rested your chin on a fist. “Alright, alright,” Xigbar said, putting his palms up. “What would you write?” You swung your legs back and forth, thinking. You hated those stories with the dashing but bland princes and perfect but helpless princesses. You were tired of all that. And you were tired of the good prince always triumphing over a one-dimensional, mindless evil bad guy. 

    “I’d make it so there were no lessons. No good guys against bad guys. I’m sick of lessons,” you murmured, thinking about your countless missions and all you had done to get your heart back. That was a good goal, right? And the ends could justify the means, couldn’t they? Wouldn’t it be worse if you wanted to be a heartless, soulless, unfeeling shell? The light in the forest turned golden as the sun started to set. As you both listened to the forest grow quieter, more furtive as it approached night, Xigbar spoke again.

    “I wouldn’t be Number II, doll, I can tell you that. And I’d have power. Power would all be worth it,” he said cryptically, staring straight ahead. You looked over at him, confused.

    “Just power? Is that really all there is to it? That’s how your story would end?” He glanced over at you, frowned, and quickly looked away. You didn’t know if it was how the golden the sun had made everything, but the gold of his eye had seemed to dim just then.

    “... Or maybe I’m just a sap. Maybe I’d keep it the same as all the rest of the guys who’ve written these stories: random, mediocre dude gets girl who’s way too good for him,” he said softly. You just stared, surprised; you had never heard anything like this from him, and you weren’t sure what to say. Xigbar coughed and turned away. “But that’s enough about stories.” 

    You fell silent again, and the forest slipped deeper into darkness as the sun finally dropped below the horizon. The forest took on a more ominous appearance at night, and your mind couldn’t help but wander back to dwelling on the fate that befell everyone at Oblivion. What would be worse: to disappear without your heart (you knew what’d happen: you’d fade away into complete nothingness) or to exist forever as you were, tortured by memories of emotions that you couldn’t fully experience?

    “What happens if I never get my heart back,” you whispered suddenly. “If I don’t disappear… but I’m not whole again… what happens, Xigbar?” You felt a tear slide down your cheek. You heard Xigbar sigh and the rustle of fabric. Then you felt an ungloved, calloused hand firmly move your chin so you were staring into a light brown eye. You didn’t dare to move, not sure what was happening.

    “Looks like I _am_ on a babysitting mission today. Look, there was a kid who was constantly underfoot at my work back when I was human. Left his damn books everywhere. And I mean _everywhere_. One day I was in the target range by the castle and - oopsy daisy! - I shot one of these books’ bindings all to bits. Well, one of the other guards got angry and demanded I patch it back together - this asshole was an idiot… but Lexaeus was also like twenty times bigger than me, so I wasn’t about to argue. So, I taped it back together best I could. I give it to the kid and don’t tell him there are some random pages missing. He ends up still loving it. Thinks it’s a great book. See, the kid didn’t know it wasn’t whole if ya’ didn’t tell him.” 

    You furrowed your brows at the man just in front of you. Was he saying it didn’t matter if you didn’t have a heart? You felt your skin tingle as his thumb brushed across your chin. As his thumb caught the soft skin of your lower lip, you felt heat pool in your belly and saw Xigbar’s gaze take on a more predatory look. “So many pesky questions. Just what am I going to do with you,” he murmured, looking down at you hungrily. You could’ve swore you felt a heart hammering, about to beat out of your chest. You were trying to concentrate on what he was telling you, but it was difficult to do so when there was a handsome face just a few inches from yours that you swore was moving closer at an agonizingly slow pace.

    “Xigbar… are you saying… do we not need our-”

    “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Xaldin’s sneering voice suddenly broke through the sounds of the forest. Xigbar instantly but calmly pulled away from you and stood up, putting his glove back on.

    “Just two Organization members waiting for the cover of darkness before commiting the standard trio of trespassing, breaking, and entering. You?” Xaldin appeared out of the shadows across the path. You clutched at your coat. How long had he been there?

    “A Dusk came by a few moments ago with a message from Lord Xemnas for me to come immediately to replace XV on this mission. The Superior has determined that Saix’s judgement was lacking and that this mission is worth too much to be left to newcomers.” You saw outright irritation flash across Xigbar’s face for a split-second before being replaced by a lazy smile and shrug.

    “Sorry to pull you from your midday siesta, dude.”

    “Hardly,” Xaldin replied, unamused, and he shot you an icy glare. You took that as your cue to leave. As you stood up, Xaldin barked, “Don’t think this gets you out of work, girl. You are to monitor the pirates in Port Royal with Luxord.”

    “Aye, aye, sir,” you answered glumly. Xigbar gave a sharp laugh, and Xaldin threw a dark glare his way.

    “What? It was funny!” Xaldin just spat on the ground in disgust and started walking down the path. Xigbar looked back at you with a ‘what can you do?’ expression and followed him. In the dark of the fresh night, you saw his gold eye flash before turning and walking away. 

    Back there… you were sure that Xigbar was telling you something important… something that went against everything Xemnas had ever drilled into your heads about being Nobodies. You were sure that Xigbar had just told you something dangerous. You felt dizzy and a little sick to your stomach. You wanted nothing more than to rest, but you knew that Saix would surely be holding a personal grudge against you for being the reason the Superior doubted the blue haired man’s judgement at assigning missions; it was best to hurry back immediately and try not to get more on his worst wide than you already inevitably were. You RTC’ed immediately and quickly found Luxord in Havoc’s Divide, drinking tea and playing a game of solitaire.

    “Ah, the lovely XV. It seems that lady luck is truly on my side if I am to be graced with your pleasant company this day,” he said, giving you a sweeping bow as he stood up. You just smiled coolly in return. Luxord’s flirtations weren’t as funny or charming as Xigbar’s, and you found his gambling theme to be strange… plus he had beat you in a clearly rigged game of poker in one of your first weeks and had won all of your days off for a month, so that admittedly biased your opinion on the Gambler a bit. “Shall we cast off for Port Royal?”

* * *

    The mission with Luxord had been uneventful, and afterwards you had spent the rest of the day in your room, obsessing over had happened earlier in the woods. It wasn’t just what Xigbar had told you about the heart - it was his comment about the guy getting the girl. You hadn’t thought about it much at the time, but thinking back on it, you hadn’t realized that Xigbar even cared about those kinds of stories. And this was the second time in a few days that he had been so close to you. 

But what if he was just teasing you? You had been careless with your comments the past few days, and the Freeshooter was skilled at spotting weaknesses. He could easily be testing you to see if you were going against Organization doctrine. And if you were… you shuddered. Axel’s comment at breakfast about ‘loyal’ members being safe had been ringing in your head all day, too.

And the way Xaldin had just showed up in the forest on Xemnas’s orders… it was all very disturbing. You sighed, clutching your pillow and rolling over to look out at Kingdom Hearts. If you had to choose between being loyal to the Organization or to Xigbar… which would you choose?

‘Don’t be ridiculous. You’re just working yourself up over nothing. That’s a stupid choice you’ll never have to make, and you’re just being dramatic,’ you thought to yourself.

    But as you drifted off to sleep, you swore you felt Xigbar’s touch on your lips again and you knew the answer to the question, and it scared you.


	4. Back to Normal?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks have passed since your two missions with Xigbar. Has he forgotten all about them? An encounter with some other Organization members makes you think that maybe he hasn't.

    The next few weeks went by slowly. You and Xigbar weren’t sent on anymore missions together, and you went back to only seeing him in the common areas of the castle. It seemed like everything had gone back to the way it originally was. You still got along with Xigbar better than the other Nobodies, but the new trust that had seemed to be created those two days didn’t resurface. You were simultaneously dismayed and slightly relieved; it had brought exciting change to your daily monotony and had made you hope for more as a Nobody, but the questions all of it had brought up had terrified you. Either way, you still couldn’t help laughing at Xigbar’s pranks (sharpshooting Luxord’s cards out of his hands from afar was always a classic) or getting drawn into his banter.

Then, one day, you were writing a report for Saix, half listening to Xion and Roxas as they excitedly told you about all the Heartless they had destroyed that day. Axel was on the couch next to the pair, nodding along, seemingly happy to hear the whole experience recounted even though he had been there himself. Xigbar was in the chair next to you, polishing and calibrating his arrow guns. 

“And then there was this huuu-uuuuge, Heartless! It was as big as - as -” Xion stumbled in her story-telling.

“As Lexaeus!” Roxas excitedly finished the sentence for her, and they both stopped talking and nodded happily at you. You hadn’t really been listening up until that point, but from their long pause, you could tell you were supposed to say how impressed you were.

“Oh, wow…” you said in monotone. 

“Well, if it was as stupid as Lexaeus, I’m sure you didn’t have any trouble with it,” Xigbar muttered, never looking away from his guns. You huffed and looked up from your report to give Xigbar an angry look.

“Don’t speak ill of the dead. Lexaeus seemed nice for a guy with no heart.” Xigbar just shrugged, and you sighed and went back to writing. Then, you heard Axel clear his throat, and you looked up. He was looking back and forth between you and Xigbar with a grin like a fox who had just found the back door into a henhouse. Before Roxas and Xion could take up their tale again, Axel started speaking.

“Yes, poor, Lexaeus. Him gone has been such a loss for all of us, but I’m sure you felt it particularly so,” he said in a cloyingly sad way. You just stared at him. Axel stared intently back at you, leaning forward. Roxas and Xion were looking at you both questioningly. You glanced at Xigbar, but he seemed even more focused on his guns now.

“Um, I mean, we weren’t particularly close or anything.” You squirmed, uncomfortable. The conversation had quickly taken an awkward turn. Axel ignored you and continued.

“Yes, so strong and kind, like you said. I’m sure he would’ve been a catch.” Axel gave a dramatic, sad sigh and leaned back into the couch. “Oh, well. I’m sure once you have a heart, you can go off and find a guy just like that.” You just stared, incredulously, as he continued talking and his gaze shifted to where Xigbar was now hunched completely over his weapons. “Young with huge muscles to protect you. A nice square jaw. Doesn’t talk much. And - not to be rude, but you’ll of course have needs - I’m sure he’ll just have a  _ maa-aassive _ -” Before Axel could finish that sentence, a shot rang out and you saw a laser arrow embedded in the couch a centimeter from Axel’s face, which looked positively gleeful at what had just transpired. You glanced surprisedly over at Xigbar, who was sitting upright and calmly looking over his guns.

“Damn. Must’ve put it on a hair trigger again,” Xigbar muttered, not even glancing up. He set his guns on the table after one more adjustment and smiled over Roxas and Xion. “But, that was a good place to stop with the kiddos here. All this talk of getting our hearts back - it’s thanks to you two.” The pair blushed happily, shifting in their seats. Xigbar turned his smile over to Axel, and you saw it grow more menacing and his golden eye glinted. “I’m sure you all will be great friends in the same world once you get your hearts back. You’ll all be together. Isn’t that right, Axel?” The redhead’s pleased look had been instantly wiped away, and he glared at Xigbar with a look of utter hatred.

“Right,” he said darkly, standing up. “I’m going to bed.” With that, he stormed off. Roxas and Xion looked at each other confusedly and then ran after him, leaving just you and Xigbar. Xigbar chuckled darkly and took up his guns again. You just sat there, paper in hand, not sure what to do. You didn’t know how to approach what all had just happened.

“I don’t know what Axel… I mean I never… Lexaeus was the size of a small village,” you finally stammered out, like that explained everything neatly. Xigbar just raised an eyebrow and glanced over at you. “But, like, I never thought of him like … as someone of interest after I get my heart back.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me, doll,” Xigbar answered gruffly, eye focused on his weapons in front of him. You just nodded and went back to your writing. After a few minutes of you idly scratching doodles onto the page, still thinking over what had just happened, Xigbar spoke again. “So, have you put much thought into it? What kind of guy you’d want after you get your heart back?”

“Such pesky questions, Number II,” you laughed out nervously. You took pleasure in being able to use one of his own quotes against him, but it was just a play for time. You had never expected him to ask, and you weren’t sure how to answer. The Freeshooter just smirked and nodded knowingly to himself, like that response was what he had expected all along. “Well,” you continued after a minute, “I guess it all depends. Do we remember being Nobodies?”

“...None of us have ever gotten our hearts back and found out. So we don’t know.” Xigbar’s voice was gruff but softer than usual. You nodded.

“Yeah… I guess, if I remember and I tell him about being a Nobody, will he think I’m some sort of monster? I’d want someone who can understand what I’ve been through, I think…” you trailed off, looking away and blushing. Was that too obvious? Had you said too much? After Xigbar didn’t respond for a few seconds, your nerves got the better of you and you blurted out loudly, “Who even said I’m thinking about that seriously right now, you know? It’s just Axel being an idiot.” You laughed nervously and glanced at Xigbar, who closed his slightly open mouth and just nodded. You cleared your throat. “So, what about you then, Number II? Is this something you’ve been giving a lot of thought to?” Xigbar warped his guns away, scoffed, and got up from the chair, stretching.

“Nah, darlin’. I was alone before I lost my heart, and I expect to be alone well after I get it back. That’s just the way it is.” He turned away. “I’m callin’ it a night. Sweet dreams, princess.”  

‘But… then why is he trying so hard to get his heart back in the first place?’ As he walked away, you called out for him to wait, and he looked back bemusedly.

“But then… what’s the point of getting your heart back?” He raised an eyebrow at you. “I mean, if you don’t want to use it to… well…” You blushed at how childish you were about to sound. “If you don’t want to use it to even love someone?” Realization dawned on his features at what you were saying, and he started laughing uproariously.

“That’s the peskiest question you’ve asked yet! Why weren’t you a scientist down in Oblivion? You ask much better questions than those clowns!” Clutching his sides, he continued laughing for a few more seconds. Then, he stopped abruptly and warped. You lost sight of him but froze as you heard him whisper from just behind your chair, “How could you question my motives, babe? Don’t we all seem like such sweet guys who just can’t  _ stand  _ not having a nice, kind heart?” He gave another low chuckle, and you felt a small telltale static crackle, and you knew he had warped away for good.

You gave a deep exhale and sank down in your chair. What all had just  _ happened  _ here tonight? You were sure Xigbar seemed annoyed at Axel for suggesting you liked Lexaeus. He had even responded with a more brutal twist of the knife than Saix had even done so far, and you could tell that the trio was grating at Saix’s last nerve.

And then there was the question of motive. You had always assumed the founding members of the Organization seemed more rigid than you newbies like Roxas and Demyx (well, gelatin was more rigid than Demyx) because they had simply been living in limbo for far too long and it had gotten to them. But then you tried to imagine Xemnas with a heart. You could never imagine him as anything other than cold and removed. Was that because he had no heart?

‘Or was he partly like that already? How  _ did _ he lose his heart?’ Sometimes when you were sleeping, you thought you dreamed of how you lost yours. Walking near your home, seeing a strange shadow flickering in and out at the edge of your vision. You didn’t pay attention to it, until suddenly you felt the hair stand up on the back of your neck, and you felt - cold? Pain? You just remembered thinking that it couldn’t end like that, not like that, you had so much you wanted to do… and then you woke up in The World That Never Was. You shook your head, returning to your original thought. ‘But, if he doesn’t care about his heart… why does he want it back?’ 

You sat there for a few more minutes, mulling over that thought until finally you realized that you should get to bed. After you were back in your room as you slipped under the covers, you felt… sad, almost. Sad that Xigbar was trying to get his heart back for some unknown reason that didn’t seem to involve wanting to love.  ‘And he doesn’t seem to mind at all. And he won’t tell me what the reason is,’ you thought, the pain in your chest crescendoing as you tried to get some sleep.

* * *

 

The next morning at breakfast, you were forced to listen to Xaldin’s whining, because he was shouting at anyone within earshot in the breakfast hall. You, Luxord, and Roxas nodded glumly into your bowls of oatmeal as Xaldin angrily perched himself  next your respective tables after already spending a full five minutes complaining over at Saix’s table, ignoring his death glares.

“I couldn’t get any sleep last night. Nothing! I have to spend hours whispering into that accursed Beast’s ear again today, and I have to do it on no sleep!” Xaldin stopped his tirade and stared at you three in indignancy.

“Oh, no. Why?” You all said it numbly and in unison. You and Luxord had the nerve to shoot mild glares; Roxas seemed to be working up the nerve but was currently just frowning at an undissolved lump of brown sugar in his bowl.

“Damn Xigbar was out walking his corridor last night. It’s near mine, and I heard him pacing up and down the floor, ceiling, and walls the whole night. This has never happened. And the night before an important mission, too! If you see him this morning, tell him I need a word with him!” After barking that order at you all, Xaldin stomped off to get breakfast. Roxas and Luxord gave a sigh of relief and went back to eating their separate breakfasts in silence. You just smiled to yourself and glanced out the window at Kingdom Hearts.

Well, well, well. Maybe the scarred man cared more than he liked to let on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if this chapter was necessary. But it was one of my favorites to write. 
> 
> For those of you readers who are only here for the hardcore tags: you're wonderful and thank you for your patience. You will be rewarded with the next chapter. Yes, the sex scene is just ahead! I hope you've enjoyed the journey so far, though.
> 
> My teenage self who played this game would be so freaked out with me even thinking about writing any sort of romance with this 'old man wannabe' pirate' (pretty sure that was how I referred to him at the time). How we change. At least we never have to go back and explain our choices to our younger selves. 'Remember that super skinny, tall character with the ridiculous eyepatch and the salt-and-pepper ponytail that needed a trim and the over-the-top surfer accent that you thought was obnoxious? In a few years, you'll think of him as charmingly sassy and find his eccentricities endearing and be interested in writing some romance scenes about that guy for people.'


	5. For Keyblade Wounds, Apply Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xion has run away!? Well, you have to hurry and find her! ... Screw that, you're going to check on Xigbar. And you're rewarded for your efforts.

    A few days after Xigbar’s late night pacing session, everything changed for good.

You had just been reading in your room after your mission that day when suddenly a portal opened in the corner. Startled, you threw your book down and stood up. ‘It can’t be Xigbar - he’d just warp in…’ To your dismay, Saix’s gold eyes appeared.

“Number VII! To, uh, what do I owe this… pleasure?” Your voice rose tellingly at the end, and Saix snorted.

“Be quiet. I have only come to tell you that Number XIII has defected. She overtook Numbers II and VIII and is now at large. Keep on the lookout for her.” As Saix receded back into the corridor, you rushed forward.

“Wait!” You grabbed onto one of his arms. “What do you mean she overpowered Xigbar? Is he hurt?” Saix looked at you with a terrifying combination of contempt and boredom.

“Why should I possibly know or care?” Saix wrenched his arm away and disappeared into the portal. You slumped onto your bed, head clutched in your hands.

‘When had Xion gotten so strong? And how could she have beaten Xigbar? Why had she even wanted to run away? She seemed so happy with Axel and Roxas.’ You didn’t know how it was possible. ‘Roxas and Axel… they’ll be devastated. But forget about them. Without her, can Roxas alone finish Kingdom Hearts? Without her, will I ever have my heart back?’ You stood up from the bed. ‘Screw Kingdom Hearts. Xigbar makes me feel like I have a heart more than those collected cast-offs from dead Heartless ever did, anyways. I’ll go after Xion later. Right now I need to check on Xigbar.’ You made your way down the corridors of the castle to the area where the higher ranked Nobodies lived. The only areas that remained open now were Xemnas’s, Xaldin's, and Xigbar’s. The hallway that led to Xigbar’s area was easy to identify; you saw tracks on the ceiling. 

Walking down, you were nervous. What would he say when you knocked? Would he be annoyed? Would he take it as a sign that you thought he was weak? Would he find it laughable that you were so concerned? ‘Even if he’s mad or laughs in my face… I need to know that he’s OK.’ When you got to his door, you steadied yourself and knocked.

“For fuck’s sake, Saix, calm down. It’ll be fine. Poppet won’t get far.” You smiled; that level of sass meant that he couldn’t be hurt too badly. You knocked again. As the door violently swung open, you heard, “Alright, you have 5 seconds before I use that stupid ‘X’ for target practi - oh. Babe. What’s a pretty face like yours doing in a place like this?” After he had realized it was you at the door, Xigbar’s face changed from exasperated to genuinely surprised. He opened the door farther and let you in. You took a seat at a small table on one side of the room, and Xigbar sat on the edge of his bed facing you. The room was nearly the same as yours, except it had more space.

    “Saix came by and told me what happened. He said that Xion attacked you, so I wanted to make sure you’re OK. Even though the most I could really do is a Curaga spell, but…” you studied him closely. There didn’t seem to be anything besides a bad bruise on his chin. “You pretty much seem to be OK.” Xigbar sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

    “Yeah, well, it’s not the first time I’ve gotten my ass handed to me by a Keyblade, and I’m sure it won’t be the last, either. Poppet clocked me good and knocked me out for a few moments. I woke up to Axel’s ugly mug screaming at me to get up. I thought the kid was going to burst into flames himself, he was so freaked out.” Xigbar stood up, stretched, and started to undo his coat. “Whatever. It’s not a huge setback. Poppet’ll come back to her dollhouse with the  other toys. It’s all just a matter of time.” He slung his jacket on the chair next to you and sat back down on the bed, rubbing his neck again.

    Your throat had gone dry. Hi arms were corded with lean muscles and adorned with various battle scars. The black shirt he was wearing hung off a toned chest and draped slightly, confirming your fantasies that the Freeshooter barely had any fat on his slim body. His pants and boots were tight around what appeared to be runner’s legs; you guessed it made sense with all the gravity-defying running around he did. After studying his body, you realized that Xigbar was watching you curiously from the bed, waiting to see what you’d say.

    “But, so, uh, did she say why she, uh, left?” Xigbar shook his head and let his hair down, running his fingers over his scalp. You audibly gulped. This tame strip show was practically too much for you; at this rate, he’d take off his boots and you wouldn’t be able to string words together. “Nothing at all?”

    “It’s like a switch flipped, babe. Couldn’t tell ya’ what she was thinkin’.”

    “ _ It  _ doesn’t think, Number II. We’ve established this.” Suddenly Saix’s cold voice interjected, and he portaled in. He gave you an icy stare. “You were so concerned? Pathetic. It’s not as if you can actually feel worry. Don’t bother Number II with your childish memories of feeling.” He turned back to Xigbar and started to report where he had continued looking for Xion. You tuned Saix out, your cheeks burning.

    You hated it when he humiliated you - but in front of Xigbar? Like this? It was nearly too much, and you felt a hot sting building behind your eyelids as you clenched your eyes shut. ‘No, don’t cry. Just play dead like Demyx said, and he’ll lose interest.’

    “We’ll search in a couple of days, OK? I’ve hunted a few frightened creatures in my day, and I can guarantee you that this girl is going to be untraceable right now. She’ll get curious or hungry or bored and show up somewhere, and we’ll find her, I swear. Don’t waste anything more than a few scouting Dusks for now.” Saix frowned and nodded.

    “I’ll defer to your experience. And you,” he said, turning back to you, “shouldn’t be wasting -”

    “I’ll let XV know when to leave, Number VII,” Xigbar said with a nonchalant tone but all the while standing up and clearly walking Saix towards the door. Saix growled and left, but not before giving you one last glare. “Sheesh,” Xigbar exhaled, closing the door, “that guy cannot relax. I keep telling him it’ll be fine.”

    “Thank goodness his looks can’t actually kill, or I’d be gone a million times over,” you grumbled. Xigbar laughed and sat back down on the bed. 

    “Are you kidding? There wouldn’t be a single thing left alive throughout all the worlds.” You both laughed together.

    “I’m glad you’re OK. I would’ve missed this,” you said softly. You couldn’t help it; you had to at least tell him that. Xigbar raised his eyebrows.

    “C’mon now, sweetheart. Don’t feel the need to act sentimental about me. I know all my teasing must drive you loopy along with the others. But that’s what makes it fun,” he exclaimed, gesturing widely. You laughed weakly at that. ‘Is that what he thinks?’

    “No, really. … Well, OK, maybe at first, yes, it drove me a bit crazy. But now - I don’t know, you make me feel like I have a heart again.” After you said it, you saw Xigbar’s eye flicker to brown, and his expression turned serious. You felt his eye looking over every inch of you under his furrowed brow. ‘Oh, great, now I did it. He’s going to think I actually  _ have  _ lost my mind.’ Xigbar hinting that you could survive without a heart is one thing, but to suggest that you felt like you  _ had  _ one was another thing entirely. As Xigbar continued to silently stare, you felt panic well up inside you. “Well, I better leave you to rest,” you said hurriedly, jumping up and accidentally knocking over your chair in the process. “I’m sure I’ll be out with those scouting Dusks tonight.” You righted the chair and headed for the door, determinedly looking anywhere but at Xigbar. 

    “Wait.” You heard him speak as your hand was on the doorknob. You turned around. He was still sitting on the bed with his brown eye fixed on you. He patted the space on the bed next to him. You tried to remain calm and quell the fluttering in your stomach as you walked back and sat down next to him. Xigbar didn’t say anything at first; he just studied you. You looked down at your hands mostly, because every split second you glanced up and met Xigbar’s brown gaze was terrifying. “Did you mean that? That I make you feel like you have a heart?”

    It seemed like he was giving you an out. You could just reach over and slap him on the shoulder and yell, ‘Gotcha! You gullible bastard!’ … But you couldn’t. So you glanced up at him and nodded silently. Xigbar exhaled deeply and then shifted closer to you. His knees were now touching yours, and you felt like you were going to burst.

    “Y’know, this does still sting a bit,” he said, pointing to his chin. “I’ve heard that there’s one thing even better than a Curaga spell; I’ve heard that… a kiss really helps make things better.” 

    ‘Did I just hear that right? A kiss? Is he messing with me again? But so what if he is? Could this really get any more humiliating, given what I just confessed? What have I got to lose?’

    “Alright,” you murmured, leaning in. “But don’t pull away,” you added sternly. Xigbar stayed completely still.

    “As if, babe.” He seemed poised on a ledge - all his muscles were tensed to respond to what happened next. His eye was moving rapidly back and forth between your eyes and lips as you leaned forward more. You heard his breath hitch as you closed your eyes right before your lips met.

    As you pressed your lips softly against his, you thought about how this was exactly how you’d imagined a kiss with Xigbar would feel: his lips were warm and pleasant but slightly dry from days spent out in the elements on missions. You couldn’t believe this was actually happening. When you felt his lips press back softly against your own, you sighed happily and pressed back more, placing your hands on Xigbar’s chest.

    Hearing your sigh, Xigbar released a deep-throated groan; it was wild and uninhibited, and it sounded as if he had been holding it in for weeks. He suddenly threaded a hand through your hair and brought the other one under your chin. You gasped as he tugged at your hair and pulled slightly at your jaw to allow his tongue more access. His tongue quickly explored your mouth, licking all over and massaging your tongue. You moaned and clutched at his shirt, feeling hard muscles underneath.

    After he had tasted all he could of your mouth and tongue, he pulled back and quickly ripped off your gloves. He brought your hands up to his cheeks for them to cup his face. You don’t know why, but his need for his skin to feel your touch made you incredibly aroused, and you pulled him to you again by the back of his neck. As you kissed, he groaned happily at your desire and started undoing your coat’s zipper while you ran your fingers through his hair.

    You broke away to work your coat off, and Xigbar tipped your neck back. You moaned as he kissed, licked, and sucked at your skin. As he moved to lick and nibble the shell of one of your ears, he began murmuring huskily to you.

    “Fuck, sweetheart. I never thought I’d - mmm - actually get to kiss you like this. If I had known that it would just take a little scratch to get you running into my arms, I’d - oh, you like that, don’t you? - I’d have flunked a mission a long time ago. Fuck, let me taste that mouth again.” You moaned happily and obliged him as he returned to your mouth hungrily. You couldn’t believe it; Xigbar had been harboring a crush on you this whole time, as well.

    The thought of the Freeshooter lusting after you for months made you need him even more. Pulling away from his kisses, you started the pull up the hem of his shirt. Xigbar chuckled approvingly and lifted his arms to help. You were greeted with the sight of an extremely muscled torso with more scars criss-crossing it in various places. You pressed against his chest gently, and Xigbar immediately complied, laying back on the bed as you leaned over him. You ran your hands up and down his chiseled chest and abs and sucked at his neck, trying to avoid his injury. His skin was slightly salty, and for some reason you found the taste addictive. You worked your way down, kissing your way through the light black hair on his chest. As you continued your ministrations, Xigbar started talking through his moans.

    “Babe, what you’re doing to me is incredible… fuck yes, sweetheart, yes, that damn mouth of yours. I never thought you’d actually - aah - want a scarred old second place like - nngh -” Xigbar groaned low in his throat as you worked on placing a light hickey above his pants.

    ‘Under that constant layer of snark, does Xigbar have insecurities?’ You rose back up to his face, kissing his lips again. Xigbar wrapped his arms around you and pulled you so that you were straddling him as he lay on the bed. The top of your breasts brushed against Xigbar’s chest, and he gripped tightly onto your ass, pressing you to him.

    “Babe, you don’t know how much I’ve thought about this,” he moaned as he pressed his hips up into you. You giggled and rolled over, pulling your top off as you did. 

    “Show me what you’ve thought up, then,” you said, smiling and working your bra off. Xigbar’s brown eye stared down wide at you, drinking you in. 

    “With pleasure,” he said, leaning over you and giving your lips a quick bite. You shivered as he traveled down past your breasts with a longing look and first started kissing your hips and stomach. After he had planted kisses all over those parts of you, he drew himself up to your breasts and ran a thumb over one of your nipples. You moaned, arching your back slightly as Xigbar continued to play with the tender flesh. Then his soft tongue replaced his rough hand as he gently placed his mouth over your breast. You mewled happily and ran your hands through his hair as his tongue lapped gently at you. One of his hands was on your other breast, and the contrast between the two feelings was incredible. You whined as his mouth left your skin and he looked up at you with an incredibly sexy smirk and gave your other nipple a hard pinch. “When you say my name tonight, sweetheart,” he said, running one of his hands down your stomach and undoing the first clasp on your pants, “you need to say ‘Braig,’ got it?” You gave him a confused look.

    “Braig. OK. So that’s your…”

    “Real name, yeah. No Org name tonight,” he murmured, moving his mouth to your other breast. As he started licking and sucking again, you wanted to try out his real name. 

    “Braig,” you moaned as he massaged your nipple with his tongue. He replied with another deep-throated groan, and he bit down quickly. You couldn’t help the sharp yelp that escaped your throat.

    “Sorry, sweetheart,” he growled, pulling away. “Hearing you say that was even more exciting than I thought it would be.” He planted a few light kisses on your reddened nipple.

    Xigbar then shifted upwards, propping himself on his forearms and continued to kiss you hungrily. You whined again as he broke away but then gasped as you felt his fingers trail just inside the waistband of your pants.

    “Can I taste you, gorgeous?” Xigbar was looking down at you like you were the tastiest thing he had ever seen, and the need in his voice made you squirm in anticipation. You started fumbling with the clasps on the pants yourself.

    “Yes, please, yes!” Xigbar’s eye gleamed and he gave your neck a gentle bite before he moved down to your pants and swatted your hands away.

    “That’s what I like to hear.” With quick, strong movements, he ripped your pants down. Swearing at your boots, he tore them off and threw them across the room and then finished removing your pants and underwear. You blushed as he stared silently at you naked on his bed. You shifted your legs to cover yourself, scared that he didn’t like what he saw. “Damnit, babe, I only have one good eye. Don’t make it more difficult to see you than it already is,” he said playfully, resting his hands on your thighs. You nodded and exhaled shakily as you spread your legs. Xigbar swore softly and leaned down, kissing his way up one thigh while moving a hand to grip your ass. He groaned as he reached the juncture of your thighs, and he planted soft kisses around your soft flesh. You felt your whole body tensing, knowing what was coming next. Then, Xigbar’s gaze met yours, and you involuntarily shuddered as you felt what you had been waiting for: his tongue licking up slowly along your folds. 

    You moaned and let your head fall back and opened your legs wider. Xigbar moaned with you as your lips parted further, allowing him more access to you. He lapped at the wetness with his tongue, and you could tell he was relishing your soft, hot core. “Fuck, sweetheart, you’re already so delicious and wet for me,” he moaned between long licks. “But I know I can make you even wetter.” He buried his tongue deep in you, wiggling it, and it made you curl your toes in pleasure. “I’m going to make your pussy absolutely drenched,” he said as he moved up to your clit. Just one lick there was enough to make you grab a pillow to moan into. You tensed from the intense spasms of pleasure and arched your back. “Yes, baby, like that. Tell me how good this makes you feel.” Xigbar steadied your hips with one hand and placed the other under the small of your back, bringing your hips closer to him. 

    His tongue pressed firmly against your clit as it flicked back and forth, hot and soft. You groaned more - the pressure against your swollen clit felt incredible, and every swipe of Xigbar’s wet tongue brought you a jolt of pleasure. You felt your pussy grow wetter than it ever had before. Xigbar was also making pornographic sounds as he pleasured you: smacking his lips and giving soft moans in response to yours as he continued licking you.

    “Braig, I’m getting close,” you finally breathed out. At that, Xigbar sat up and brought one thumb to your clit, circling it vigorously. You felt that tell-tale coil in the pit of your stomach grow tighter, and Xigbar smirked down at you as he continued his ministrations. With his other hand, he pushed a finger into you slowly. 

    “Let me feel you when you cum for me, sweetheart. I want you dripping when I put my cock in there.” He then started rubbing your clit even faster back-and-forth with his four fingertips pressed together, creating a wonderful, constant friction. You whimpered as the coil in your stomach grew tighter. 

    “Ah… ah… ahh! Braig!” You cried out as Xigbar worked you over the edge, and you felt the most intense spasms of pleasure you’d ever experienced. You felt your walls contracting and releasing around Xigbar’s finger, your juices coating him. Panting, you looked at Xigbar and found him grinning down at you. Even though you had just came, you felt yourself wanting more as your eyes met his intense gaze. 

    “I need to know how you taste now,” he said, bending down to give your dripping pussy lips more light licks. “Fuck, you taste even more amazing now, babe. I think I’m addicted…” Xigbar re-buried his tongue in you. You couldn’t believe how wet Xigbar had made you and how much he loved licking you. ‘A girl could spend a whole day like this,’ you thought to yourself hazily. As amazing as it all felt, though, you wanted to return the favor.

    “Braig, please, I need to taste you, too,” you spoke up, blushing. You propped yourself and looked down at Xigbar, who was gazing up at you hungrily. He stopped licking you and sat up , starting to unbutton his pants. As you saw his bulge emerge from his tight pants as he pulled them down, you blushed even more as you felt your mouth water slightly. ‘I can’t believe I’ve needed him this badly,’ you thought to yourself.

    “Alright, darling, but I haven’t had my fill of you yet.” Xigbar smirked predatorily at you as he kicked off his trousers and started slowly working the waistband of his underwear down. 

    “Uh-huh?” Your brain was slow at processing what he was saying, because you were distracted by the thick base of his cock that was beginning to peak out of a small patch of black curls. You gulped and glanced up at Xigbar, whose face showed that he found your fascination  _ very  _ arousing. 

    “But we can work around that.” He pulled off his underwear fully, and you felt yourself grow even wetter as you watched his cock spring out. 

    “Uh-huh?” You moved forward on your knees and pressed your body to Xigbar’s, loving the feeling of your chest against his chiseled pecs and the feeling of his hard, warm cock pressed into the softness of your stomach. You leaned up to kiss him needily while you began to stroke his dick. Xigbar groaned into the kiss, threading his fingers through your hair and pressing his hips forward into your touch. After a minute, he pulled away and lightly gripped your wrist.

    “Don’t make me cum to early, sweetheart. I told you, I’m not finished tasting that sweet pussy of yours yet. And I need to feel that amazing tongue of yours on my cock,” he purred. You blushed at his blunt words. Suddenly, you felt yourself warped by his space powers and you found yourself lying on top of him, staring down at his hard length, and Xigbar was under you with his lips and tongue already suckling and working your clit happily. Completely shocked, you couldn’t do more than gasp and plant soft kisses along Xigbar’s shaft as he put his tongue back inside you and lapped at your juices. The feeling of his tongue deep inside you was amazing, and Xigbar’s thumb gently starting rubbing your clit again.

    “Braig!” You cried out - the pleasure was growing too much. Deciding to return the favor, you started licking the underside of his shaft. His skin was salty and tangy, and there was a masculine, musky scent when you licked you way down near the base of dark curls. Then, you gripped the base with your hand and started pumping and sucking gently on the tip.

    You felt Xigbar’s tongue stop moving in you, and you felt his fingers tighten their grip around your hips. You released his head with an audible pop and smiled; you liked knowing that you were having an effect on him. Taking a breath, you lowered your mouth back down to him, taking all of him in your mouth. You heard Xigbar swear loudly from behind you - it seemed he was resting his head on the bed for now while you sucked him. Bobbing up and down, you worked your tongue all around, making sure to cover every inch of his cock with it.As you felt Xigbar’s hips starting to buck and heard him grunt, you knew that your effort was starting to pay off. 

    You released him from your mouth and looked backwards, curious to see what the Freeshooter looked like in the throes of pleasure. His head had lolled to the side, and his hair was dishevelled across the bed. He was breathing hard and looking at you with a hooded eye, pleasure written all over his face. His body was glistening with sweat. You smiled; you could definitely get used to this view. Turning back around, you took him back into your mouth and resumed sucking.

    “Naughty, naughty!” Xigbar laughed and raised his head, starting to tease your clit with his tongue again. You both moaned against each other’s skin as you pleasured one another simultaneously, savoring the taste and feel of the other. After a few more minutes of pleasure, you felt Xigbar pull away, and you were teleported again. This time you found yourself lying back on the bed with Xigbar on top of you. One of his legs was propped between yours, and he looked at you expectantly.

    “Is this alright, babe?” In response, you spread your legs for him. You loved that he talked a good game but still made sure that you were still along for the ride the whole way.

    “Please, I’ve wanted this for so long. Don’t you dare keep me waiting anymore.” Xigbar looked relieved and exhaled shakily.

    “As if.” He inhaled deeply and reached back to position himself at your entrance. You gasped as you felt the tip of his cock press its way into you. Looking into his brown eye, you wrapped your arms around his muscled shoulders and leaned up to give him a kiss. Xigbar kissed back and pressed his hips forward, entering you fully. You broke the kiss to groan and tip your head back; it felt amazing! He slid into your wet folds easily, and he leaned down to suck at your exposed neck while he pressed deeper into you. You loved the feeling of him slowly filling you, and he paused after pushing all the way in. “You feel amazing, babe… fuck, you’re so soft.’ Rolling his hips, Xigbar started to move in and out of you. You gasped, and he bit down onto your shoulder as he worked into a rhythm, pumping in and out. “Is this good, babe?” You moaned happily and gave a gentle tug on his hair.

    “Harder, faster,” you breathed out. Xigbar grunted and complied, pounding you. The fullness of him inside you - the sound of his skin slapping against yours - Xigbar’s sweat-soaked chest gliding over your sensitive nipples - his panting in your ear - it was all driving you wild!

    “I’m close, babe,” Xigbar moaned. You turned and found his lips with yours. A few moments later, Xigbar groaned into your mouth as you felt him release inside you. You moaned at the sensation and pressed him closer to you.

    Afterwards, Xigbar pulled out of you gently and rolled off you. He laid an arm out, and you curled into his side. You laid there, silently, feeling his warmth and his chest rising and falling. As you lay there in a haze of bliss, you felt your eyes starting to flutter closed, but then a thought came.

    “What now?” Your whisper broke the silence. Xigbar chuckled and squeezed you closer. You looked over and saw his brown eye wink at you.

    “Such pesky questions,” he sighed, pulling you even closer against him. That was all he said, and you found yourself falling asleep before you could ask anything more. 

* * *

    When you woke up, you were in your own bed. Dazed, but feeling very well rested, you sat up, shaking your head. Had it all been a dream? An incredibly vivid wet dream? But then you looked down to see what you were sleeping in: a black Org shirt a size too big for you. And as you became more awake, you felt a soreness between your legs; not unpleasant, but it made you think it  _ definitely  _ hadn’t just been a dream. Then, you saw a note on the pillow next to you.

    ‘Babe, that was incredible. Rest up, because I’ll be back for more. And I can get you some answers to those pesky questions you’re always asking. But we have to make sure no one else knows. This won’t end pretty if we’re found out. So keep your hands off me in public.’ After the last sentence, there was a winky face with only one eye. Smiling, you burned the note with a small Fire spell in your palm and layed back down. No matter what was going on in the Organization, no matter what was up ahead… you were sure that Xigbar and you were going to write your own story and triumph over it all - together.    


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a work of fantasy. Please always practice safe sex.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I would really appreciate comments with your thoughts. Like I said in the summary, I'm thinking of writing an epilogue for this, so please let me know if you're interested. Hopefully the sex was well written enough to make up for 4 chapters of attempted humorous banter with no sex.
> 
> I'd like to write more reader inserts for the Organization, so let me know if there are any preferences.


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